"Calderone's Return (Part I)", also known as "The Hit List", is the fourth episode of Miami Vice'sfirst season. The episode premiered on October 19, 1984, repeated as a two-hour movie (with "Calderone's Demise") on May 24, 1985, and features the return of the Calderones and the death of Lou Rodriguez (Gregory Sierra).

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Crockett and Tubbs, on surveillance detail for a drug dealer named Castranova, are relieved early in the morning by Switek and Zito, as Crockett has to appear in court with his soon to be ex-wife Caroline (Belinda Montgomery). The Crocketts (after their lawyers go at it) decide to give it one more try. Castranova leaves his home to visit the tailor, and sends for his limo. A man posing as their chauffeur pulls up in the limo, then shoots everyone in it dead. The real chauffeur stops the shooter by pulling a gun, but the fake one blows him away when he is briefly distracted. The shooter, Argentinean assassin Ludovici Armstrong (Jim Zubiena) calmly drops the gun and gloves used in the killings, and walks away to a waiting car before Switek and Zito can get there. The police give chase but lose the car; it is traced to a hotel, but before it can be surrounded a police siren gives them away and the shooter escapes. He leaves behind $20,000, some guns, and a book with a list of names on it. Crockett and Caroline spend an afternoon of marital delight, but are interrupted by Tubbs and Rodriguez, who let Crockett know about the shooting and that every name but 2 on the list of names found have been killed, and Crockett's name is number 8.

At OCB, Gina pulls DEA files on the hit list names, and finds all were mid-level dealers trying to expand. The prints on the getaway car match those for a man (Armstrong) with an INTERPOL file containing a long list of professional assassinations, but no name. Paperwork found in the hotel room was linked to a Carlos Mendez. Rodriguez wants Crockett to stay at the Safe House until they locate the killer, and decides to escort Crockett there personally. They stop by the St. Vitus Dance to pick up clothes, not knowing Armstrong has a bead on the boat from the Freedom Tower, passing the time with a doughnut and coffee. Trudy pulls surveillance photos of Mendez and finds he's linked to Calderone, the dealer that got away, who is back to take revenge on Crockett. The getaway car also contains an address book, with Crockett's boat address in it. Armstrong fires on the boat, and Rodriguez is gravely wounded shoving Crockett out of harm's way.

While Rodriguez is undergoing surgery, the Vice cops learn that all six dead dealers had ties with Calderone, but were branching out on their own (like Corky Fowler did previously--and suffered the same fate), so they search for Linus Oliver (Ron Taylor), number 7 on the hit list. Crockett and Tubbs corner Linus, find a briefcase full of drugs in his car's trunk, and set up a meet with Mendez at Linus' bar. Crockett is so wired up about being on the hit list that he pulls a gun on a civilian who stopped him because he dropped his cigarettes. Crockett meets Caroline and Billy at the Safe House and reassures them that everything will be OK.

The Vice cops set Linus up at the bar and wait to meet Mendez. During this time two men want Trudy to dance, and refuse to take "no" for an answer. Zito steps in and the confrontation escalates into an all-out brawl on the dance floor. During the fight Linus spots Mendez in the crowd and the cops take him in as the real assassin - Armstrong - watches. Crockett, thinking he's safe, takes his family home. Tubbs intensely questions Mendez, until Linus is found shot dead in front of his apartment, meaning the shooter is still out there. Mendez refuses to talk, but Tubbs realizes the killer's going after the last name on the list - Crockett.

Armstrong goes down in a hail of bullets

Tubbs speeds to Crockett's house to warn him. Crockett sees the shooter's trademark doughnut and coffee spilled in the room, and pulls his family out of the way just as Armstrong comes out shooting. Tubbs storms in to help Crockett, and Armstrong shoots his way through a window, only to be stopped by a phalanx of police; he goes down firing. Caroline tells Crockett things cannot work out with his way of life, and Crockett agrees to reschedule the divorce hearing. Tubbs gets word that Rodriguez died from his injuries, while Mendez finally broke down and revealed that Calderone is in the Bahamas. Crockett and Tubbs prepare to go after the dealer.

This episode was called "The Hit List" when it originally aired, but the name was changed to "Calderone's Return (Part I)" when it went into syndication, presumably to better link it with the following episode, which continues the story. This second title is now its official one, and has been used on the show's VHS and DVD releases, and online.

This marks the final appearance of Gregory Sierra as Lt. Lou Rodriguez. Sierra had requested to be written out of the show because he didn't like living in Miami.

The episode was pre-empted one week due to NBC airing Game 3 of the 1984 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres.

Jan Hammer's "Crockett's Theme" is first heard in this episode, during his time on the beach with Caroline and Billy. This music will be one of the hallmarks of the series.

Jim Zubiena, who played hitman Ludivicio Armstrong, was a shooting expert in his own right. Genuine proficiency with firearms is one of the most noteworthy aspects of Michael Mann's productions, and Zubiena uses several expert shooting techniques in this episode, including the "Mozambique Drill" (shooting a victim twice in the chest and once in the head in order to absolutely guarantee a kill). This technique also features in Michael Mann's films Thief, Heat and Collateral.

During the shootout in Crockett's home, the blank adaptor fitted on the AC556 assault rifle used by Zubiena came loose and was propelled form the barrel at considerable speed directly towards the camera crew shooting the action; fortunately they were protected by a thick perspex screen. Zubiena, however, was not so lucky, as the adapter ricocheted off of the screen and struck him in the shoulder with enough force to spin him around and knock him to the floor. Fortunately, he suffered no long-term injuries.

Another accident during the same scene almost injured Don Johnson. One of the electronically-triggered squibs that simulate bullets impacts was fired too early (originally, the squib in question was supposed to go off after Johnson had backed away from where it was attached to the wall) and the explosive detonated in Johnson's face. While he was fortunately uninjured, the squib blew the face out of an expensive watch he was wearing.

Many characters in this episode wear "Members Only" jackets, such as Carlos Mendez, Ludivicio Armstrong, and a few members in the club.

The hotel identified as the "Desiree Hotel" where Armstrong and Mendez were located after the Castronova hit is actually the Nassau Hotel, which was renovated and upgraded and is now called the "Nassau Suite Hotel".

Tubbs drives Crockett's Daytona in this episode, the only time in the series he would drive one of Crockett's Ferraris. The footage of him speeding through the night to save Crockett from Ludivicio Armstrong is recycled from "Cool Runnin'", and would be used again in "Give A Little, Take A Little".

The version of the "Miami Vice Theme" used in the opening credits is incorrectly mixed and is missing the distinctive synthesised guitar hook. This is the final episode where this occurs. Curiously, this was not corrected on recent DVD releases of the show, despite being acknowledged as an error by producers.

When Ludovici Armstrong shoots Nicky the chauffeur, the wiring from the body rig is clearly seen from the bottom of his pants leg.

At the end of the episode when Tubbs says, "Calderone's in the Bahamas," the movement of his lips doesn't seem to match the dialogue.